Introduction Wok in Chinese Cuisine

The "cooking craze" for gourmet meals and exotic cooking at home has   finally arrived, states a feature article of TIME magazine of   december 19, 1977. The "cooking craze" rampage has caused homemakers   to purchase thousands of Chinese woks across the country. From the   sensuous pleasures that these people have derived from dining at top   quality Chinese restaurants across the nation, the zeal for Chinese   food has reached a popularity that surprises even the most seasoned   Chinese restauranteur. Few of these wok purchasers know much about   wook cookery, but most express a desire to learn how to cook well in   one. Hence, the reason for writing this post.

One should have a desire to know something about China and its foods   before seriously embarking upon cooking stylistic dishes of its   cuisine. It lends greater fascination to know how some of these   dishes were developed and gives one a slight insight into Chinese   customs and culture.

The country of China, now known as The People's Republic of China, is   the largest country in the world by population, with 800,000,000   people. It is the third largest country in the world by geographical   area. Probably the best known feature of Chinese culture and   civilization is its cuisine. Chinese restaurants are found in almost   all large cities of the world.

 Chinese cuisine has been at a high stage of sophistication for   countless centuries. This is evidenced by Confucius when he wrote in   his "Analects" during the sixth centure, B.C., that he liked his meat  minced fine and his rice polished white. Regional cooking styles have   existed in China for at least a thousand years. Even foods described   in poetry by the Sung Dynasty poet, Su Tung Po (1037 to 1101 A.D.)   are not much different from the ones consumed today. There are extant   descriptions of court banquets at Hangchow of the Sung Period (907 to   1279 A.D.) that consisted of 40 to 200 courses and were served over a   period of one to three days. To serve all this food, the "elite" of   this period used gold, silver, jade and all types of porcelain   dishes. Some of these wares are presently on display at the Peking   Museum.

 China has had a long legacy of high civilization, and it has long been   recognized that man must exist harmoniously with society and nature.   Even today, despite increased technology in agriculture and animal   husbandry, nature still creates its catastrophes; hence, the Chinese   reverence for good food, well prepared. If one has only one life to   live, then at least let it be pleasant as possible for one's duration   on the Earth.

I hope useful. Thankyou.